CH-048

48. Congratulations

By the time Shu Li sat on the ox cart back to the Savoy parish, he almost wanted to just lie flat on the cart boards like a corpse.

From July 7 onward, the wedding festivities had continued without interruption.

Shu Li calculated that ever since the duke’s wedding day, he had been standing from morning until night for three full days in a row.

Because he was truly exhausted. Since coming to this world, it was the first time he had ever done labor so physically tiring. Under the blazing sun, the clothes on his back got wet with sweat, dried, then got wet again. At long last, once everything was finished, he applied to stay one extra day in Carson to recover a little. But in the morning, after sleeping only until 8:15, he was warmly and persistently dragged awake by Vice Archbishop Hugo.

Under Father Simeon’s organization, he then followed the large group to have a collective portrait painted of all the clergy in the entire Carson diocese.

That too turned into another huge undertaking, and once again he stood all day until dark.

That one was the most exhausting of all, because he was not even allowed to move.

Since even the already elderly Vice Archbishop Hugo could keep standing without complaint, Shu Li naturally could not very well complain either.

Not to mention that Vice Archbishop Hugo still seemed unsatisfied and apparently even had the interest to paint another portrait—

The moment Shu Li saw where this was headed, how could he dare stay any longer?

He swore inwardly that even if he collapsed the next day, he would still crawl back to the Savoy parish. He absolutely could not remain in Carson any longer.

So not long after dawn, while the sky had only just begun to pale, Shu Li hurriedly climbed onto the ox cart that Bande and Finian had already been waiting beside for a long time.

There was also someone from Carson city who had come to see him off: Herens.

Because Shu Li had also told him the time he would be leaving.

Besides that, he needed Herens to tell the others, “Father Alis has already returned early to the Savoy parish to carry out his clerical duties.”

Although the one who came to see him off was Herens, Father Conny was also standing not far away, neither approaching on his own initiative nor trying to overhear what Herens and Shu Li were saying.

“So, Herens, have you already decided to stay in Carson and become Father Conny’s knight?”

As Finian asked this, he even lifted his eyes to look at the priest who had previously suspected Herens of murder in the council chamber.

He felt that the adult world was really bizarre—

Because if he had been wrongly suspected without cause, then the person who talked nonsense would definitely have become his mortal enemy.

How could there be anyone like Herens who, instead of that, actually went to become the other person’s knight?

Herens really was not very smart. He would definitely get bullied.

After thinking that, Finian remembered the recent rumors again.

This time, because both the diocesan bishop and the diocesan governor had met with accidents one after another, Carson diocese had undergone a round of personnel changes.

Some priests from local parishes had been transferred into Carson city to assist temporarily. Two people were required to remain there for the time being, and one of them was Father Conny—the very priest who had taken the initiative to suggest investigating the case when Duke Claude had challenged them.

Though Finian felt that this man had not really done much, the fact remained that he had been lucky and left an impression on people during the whole affair.

Judging by Herens’s choice, Father Conny would most likely be staying in Carson city.

After all, among all the other parishes, which priest could compare to their own Father Alis?

If Herens really went to work under Father Conny over there, he might as well have stayed honestly in the Savoy parish.

Once he thought through all this, Finian became quite indignant. It was not merely because Herens was going off to live a good life elsewhere; it was because Father Alis had clearly performed the best of anyone, yet nobody thought to reserve the best position for him.

So unfair!

Father Alis had obviously done the most and shone the brightest!

And now he still had to head back to the Savoy parish before sunrise.

Finian thought this church was too dark!

It only knew how to bully honest people!

The more Finian thought about it, the angrier he became. He wanted to vent, but could not figure out where to start criticizing things. Usually he could speak in one chain after another, but this time his own mind was racing so fast it tripped him up, and for once he actually found himself unable to say anything.

From Herens’s point of view, Finian was angry because he seemed to be abandoning Father Alis and running off to become Father Conny’s knight instead. “Finian, it’s not what you think.”

Because of those words, Finian immediately found an outlet for his emotions and scolded Herens, “You must’ve been dazzled by the colorful life in Carson city, that’s why you won’t come back to the Savoy parish. How is that Father Conny any better than Father Alis?”

Standing at a distance, Father Conny vaguely heard his own name and turned his head toward Finian. But before their gazes could meet, he instinctively looked instead toward Father Alis, who was fully focused on the conversation with the one big and one small figure, and then his gaze dropped to the cross necklace at Herens’s neck.

The calmness of his heart became involuntarily complicated. He even regretted that he had not stood closer just now, to hear what exactly they were saying. Still, he only said coldly, “Herens, are you finished?”

The words sounded like a reminder to hurry up.

So Herens quickly answered and handed Shu Li the box he had prepared. “Father Alis, this is something Vice Archbishop Hugo prepared. He guessed that you’d leave early in the morning, so he asked me to bring it to you when I came to see you off today, so you could take it with you.”

When Shu Li accepted it, he did not have the habit of opening gifts immediately, so he said, “Please thank Vice Archbishop Hugo for me. If I’d known he could guess I’d leave early, I would have waited for him to wake up and said goodbye in person.”

Herens could not help laughing. “Vice Archbishop Hugo actually guessed you’d say that too. He said that if you really did say goodbye to him in person, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to bear letting you go.”

When Shu Li heard this, he thought Vice Archbishop Hugo truly had too much personal charm. The way he said that was simply too beautiful.

To know what people wanted to hear was one thing, but to say it so naturally and cleverly, in a way that made people smile knowingly and untied the knot in their hearts like loosening a live knot, was not easy at all.

I should learn that.

He made a serious mental note that he could use a line like that himself someday.

Herens continued, “I’ll definitely still go back to the Savoy parish later. Knights have days off too, and Savoy parish isn’t all that far. Going back once a month is easy enough. When I do, I’ll bring back tasty things and fun things from Carson city for you all.”

The last sentence was obviously meant for Finian.

The soothing and coaxing tone in it could not have been more obvious.

Finian had been so upset that Herens really was leaving the Savoy parish, and so angry that the Carson clergy had treated Father Alis unfairly, that his head was all muddled. He had still wanted to keep a sour face and refuse to show Herens a good expression, to make him know he was not someone who could be easily coaxed!

But just then, Shu Li lightly patted his back, as if silently comforting him and telling him not to be angry.

Shu Li’s gentleness loosened him up a little. Though dissatisfaction still lingered in his heart, he was no longer quite so angry.

Still, Finian folded his arms and pouted. “They’d better be tasty things and fun things. Otherwise I’ll be even angrier than I am now!”

Which, in other words, meant that right now he was not quite so angry anymore.

Both Shu Li and Herens laughed.

“If you’re not done talking, I’ll leave first.” Seeing that Herens seemed to have endless things to say to them, Father Conny grew irritated. As he said this, he also took a few steps toward the direction of the church.

Shu Li noticed and lowered his voice to quickly ask Herens in confirmation, “So what’s going on between you two now?”

“I’ve made up with him. But his current stance—as a heretic—is not going to change.”

As Herens reached this point, he brought the secret close to Shu Li’s ear so that only he could hear the next words. “Conny is actually working for Duke Claude.”

After saying that, he lifted his head to see Shu Li’s reaction.

When he saw that Shu Li did not look surprised at all, Herens was inwardly startled, yet also felt it was only to be expected. “I won’t let him do bad things,” Herens said, clenching his fist to encourage himself.

Shu Li was only happy for him. “You don’t have to come back every month. That’s too troublesome. But this winter, you definitely have to come back. We already agreed to eat hotpot together, and when the time comes we’ll still need the meat you bring.”

“Don’t worry!”

There was no way Herens would forget the promise he and Shu Li had made before.

Looking at Herens’s increasingly lively expression, some corner of Shu Li’s heart also settled in relief. “When the time comes, bring Father Conny with you as a guest too.”

At once a glimmer flickered in Herens’s eyes, and words of gratitude almost rose to his throat, though saying them now would only be redundant. “If Conny spent more time with you, he’d definitely come to like you too.”

“Hahaha.”

Shu Li was amused by Herens and patted him on the arm.

In truth, he did not think so.

These past few days, Herens had been seeking Father Conny out for conversations the whole time.

The more their relationship eased, the more Shu Li felt that Father Conny did not particularly like him. Otherwise, in an ordinary chatting setting like this, why stand so far away? Why take on such an attitude of drawing a boundary? Still, Shu Li had no interest in getting close to someone who did not like him, so he simply kept things politely superficial rather than making the distance quite as obvious as Conny did.

“Then we’re off.”

It was getting late, and Shu Li did not say anything more. He waved goodbye to Herens.

Herens stood where he was and watched them off all the way until the ox cart disappeared from sight.

And Father Conny also maintained his distance the whole time. Though he had spoken as if he wanted to leave, he was clearly still waiting for Herens to go back together with him.

Village chief Bande did not say much, but he was a perceptive man. “Father Conny and Herens are actually friends, aren’t they?”

Finian had not been thinking along those lines. “Really?”

“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?”

Shu Li thought it was fairly obvious.

Just from the way Father Conny kept saying “Herens” in the council chamber, one sentence after another, Shu Li felt Father Conny did care quite a lot about Herens.

Finian said, “What kind of friend would harm another friend?”

Village chief Bande said, “Maybe there was some misunderstanding they couldn’t explain clearly?”

Finian looked again at his own father. “If they couldn’t explain it clearly, then how can they still stay together? Wouldn’t they end up fighting?”

Bande replied lightly, “Then it must be because they still care about each other. So even if things are hard to clear up, they still want to give the other person one more chance in their hearts. To be honest, it’s just like living together—how can two people possibly be in sync every moment? Things only last if both sides keep yielding and enduring each other.”

“I see...” Finian muttered, his voice carrying thought. “So what has Mom done that made you have to endure and yield? Tell me. I promise I won’t let her know.”

At those final words, Bande naturally understood that this child was ready to stir up trouble at any second, so he kept his mouth shut and pretended he had not heard anything.

Finian still refused to give up and kept tugging at his father’s arm.

Seeing that Bande was getting endlessly harassed, Shu Li pulled Finian back. “Come help me look at what’s inside the box.”

Finian’s attention shifted instantly. “Okay, okay!!”

The box was not locked, so it opened very easily.

Inside was a box filled to the brim with mixed gold, silver, and copper coins.

Resting on top of the money was also a handwritten letter from Vice Archbishop Hugo.

Finian immediately cried out, “Wow—!”

Then he quickly asked Shu Li, “Is this your reward?! Now this is more like it! How many are there?”

Finian felt like he too had instantly been soothed!

By now Shu Li had already opened the letter and read a few lines, replying, “This is the wedding gratuity the new duchess gave to the clergy who participated in and assisted with the wedding—one hundred gold coins total. But Vice Archbishop Hugo thought gold coins would be inconvenient to circulate in the parish, so he only kept ten gold coins and exchanged the rest into more practical silver and copper coins.”

Shu Li felt delighted by Vice Archbishop Hugo’s thoughtfulness, but what delighted him even more was that after being in this world for so long, he had finally earned a sum of money!

A whole hundred gold coins!

He could hardly believe it—!

Shu Li secretly rejoiced that if he planned carefully, this money could let him comfortably hole up until next year. At least financially, he would no longer have any burden at all.

And even better, it was not only him—every parish clergyman had received some too.

It was precisely because he knew how hard it was to run a parish that he knew how precious this money was. The thought that a whole group of equally struggling colleagues could also breathe easier, and would not have to worry about expenses for at least two or three years, made Shu Li genuinely happy too.

To be honest, although the wedding had indeed made Leslie unhappy, for everyone else it had truly been as joyous as a festival.

After thinking for a moment, Shu Li quietly began knocking an imaginary wooden fish in his heart, trying to calm himself down.

However, the next line in Vice Archbishop Hugo’s letter immediately sobered him and wiped that happiness away.

“At the harvest festival in October, a circuit bishop should come to inspect the Savoy parish. While Alis remains in Savoy parish, please continue to maintain a good performance and strive to leave a good impression on him.”

A so-called circuit bishop was not the kind of high-ranking clergyman fixed to one diocese. Rather, he moved between multiple dioceses to inspect and examine them, sometimes helping manage diocesan affairs, but chiefly responsible for supervising the work progress and performance of clergy in various places.

In a certain sense, a circuit bishop might even hold a position higher than the bishop of Carson diocese.

If Shu Li’s own position were compared to that of a county magistrate, then the bishop of Carson would be like the prefect, while the circuit bishop would be like an inspector sent from the central government.

The reason Shu Li became nervous was that aside from Elder Yage’s family, the Savoy parish’s only believer, Herens, had also left. The number of believers had now dropped back to zero again.

How could that possibly count as a good performance?!

He did not have a single good performance to show. Would he get dismissed?

Shu Li could not help growing anxious.

But just then, the morning bell from the clocktower rang out, as if waking the whole city, and even the sunlight seemed to step forward in rhythm with it. Warm light spread across the streets and illuminated the whole city.

As the bell echoed through the air, Shu Li’s gaze was drawn to a figure on the distant clocktower. He saw the distinct silhouette of an old man, and beside him a smaller silhouette, apparently that of a child.

Though the distance was too great for Shu Li to make out the child’s face, he could almost certainly say that it was Leslie.

Even though he had no idea why the two of them were standing together, the fact that there had been a bond between them in the original story made this moment feel full of destiny.

In the end, even if their lives had taken different turns, their fates were still converging to the same destination.

In the original book, they had been a master and disciple pair dependent on each other in a dark dungeon where no daylight reached. And now they stood side by side beneath the sun—

There could be no better ending than this.

For a brief moment, Shu Li forgot his troubles. He genuinely felt happy for them and waved in their direction.

Once they had completely left Carson city and set foot again on the familiar trade road, Shu Li’s exhaustion slowly crawled back out from his bones.

All those troublesome matters were still far away!

He was just about to lie down, his whole body nearly relaxed already.

But just as he was closing his eyes, Shu Li suddenly heard the clear voices of Bande and Finian talking.

“By the way, Dad, don’t you think the statue in the clocktower looks a lot like Father Alis?”

“So you thought that too?”

Those two sentences struck Shu Li’s ears like thunder.

His heart gave a violent jump, and his face instantly grew hot, as if all the blood in his body had rushed to his cheeks.

From his half-reclining position, he sat bolt upright. “Let’s chat for a while...”

I’m not sleeping anymore!!!